


Mantle

by orangebarmy



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2003)
Genre: Gen, Illnesses, Prank Wars, Ratings: PG
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-13
Updated: 2015-03-13
Packaged: 2018-03-17 17:41:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3538325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orangebarmy/pseuds/orangebarmy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT sadly<br/>Summary: Mikey's ill in bed but pranks are still happening, who is it?<br/>Rating: PG<br/>Note: This is for Teratophelia's Spontaneous Contest - Prompt "Flowers Bloom In Desolate Places" :)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mantle

The lair was quiet; very quiet. There was no raucous laughter or the blare of video games; there were no bellows of anger or crashes of equipment breaking. All in all the entire lair was the picture of perfect serenity. 

Raph sighed loudly as he settled onto the sofa and finally took up the controller for the gaming system. Looking about he made sure he was alone before starting up the system on a low volume and progressing through the first level.

It had been a long time since he had been able to play on the system alone and know he wouldn’t be interrupted by his younger brother. All of them had been revelling in the peace and quiet that had surrounded the lair in the last two weeks or at least that is what they were telling themselves.

Mikey had been confined to his room for that period of time after his skin had erupted in reddish spots which had itched like crazy. The spots had been followed by a fever and hallucinations before whatever infection that had taken hold of his body drained him of all energy and he had taken to his bed to sleep almost constantly.

Donatello had examined his brother but he wasn’t entirely sure what the exact ailment was but on researching he saw the spots were similar to a disease common to humans called Chicken Pox.

Whether or not Mikey had the highly contagious human condition, Donnie couldn’t be entirely sure but he had decided not to take any chances and had isolated his baby brother from the rest of them, although Master Splinter still insisted on visiting his youngest son. Mikey had made no complaints but had happily sunk into his bed to sleep away his ailment.

With Mikey so poorly in bed, the lair was noise and prank free for the other inhabitants. It was a situation that the other brothers for the most part had been enjoying. Donnie had completed a couple of experiments without interruption, while Leo had meditated and practiced without needing to play referee for his other siblings. However it was Raph who had seemingly been enjoying the time the most.

Without Mikey playing pranks and stoking his anger, Raph hadn’t blown his top once. For most people this would have been the best outcome of a situation but for the mutant family it was like a slowly bubbling volcano just waiting to erupt.

Both Donnie and Leo could see it in the golden eyes of the red banded turtle that he was getting increasingly frustrated with life, the universe and everything but without Mikey to stoke him into eruption he didn’t quite know how to get it out. Even Leo and Donnie despite their outward shows of calmness felt something was missing and were feeling the frustrations such feelings brought about.

When the character he was playing finally lost their last life Raph tossed the controller down with a low growl of irritation. He had so much pent up energy that even a night out Purple Dragon bashing with Casey hadn’t dented it. Getting up he stretched out and headed towards the dojo hoping more physical exercise would help him.

Jogging on the spot in front of his punching bag, Raph took a few moments to start warming up his muscles before he bunched his fists and shot one forward in a hard punch. The fabric of his punching bag groaned but Raph ignored it to bellow in rage as he was covered with a fine dusting of powder most likely flour.

“Mikey!” the name of his younger brother fell from his lips before he could stop it.

Charging out of the dojo, Raph growled in anger as he remembered Mikey was still tucked safely up in bed and had been for a while. Logic obviously dictated that the culprit couldn’t be Mikey and would have to be Leo or Donnie.

The door of Leo’s bedroom opened at the same time as Donnie’s lab door opened. The forest and olive green turtles both blinked in surprise at Raph’s appearance before bursting out laughing. Each doubled over only serving to anger Raph even more.

“Which one of you did it?” Raph bellowed.

Donnie wiped the tears from his eyes and looked at Raph but as soon as his gaze settled on the white washed emerald green turtle he burst out laughing once more. Raph growled in thorough frustration and dived at Donnie.

“You little jerk!” Raph shouted trying to grab a hold of Donatello.

The olive green turtle deftly avoided his enraged brother, looking up at Leo who continued to chuckle at Raph’s appearance. The Sai wielding turtle continued to splutter and growl as he dove after Donnie like he did Mikey but he was able to catch the olive green turtle more quickly. Drawing him down into a headlock, Raph growled out some fresh obscenities before Leo decided it was time to step in.

“That is enough Raphael,” he reprimanded.

Letting Donnie go, the muscular turtle strode up to Leo and pushed up against his plastron.

“So it was you?” Raph spat out.

“I don’t know what you are talking about,” Leo answered in reply.

Donnie sniggered behind them, “Me either but that was just what I needed.”

Raph’s golden eyes narrowed as he glanced between them.

“Someone filled my punching bag with flour and we all know it isn’t Mikey because he is too sick so that means it is one of you two,” Raph explained.

“Well even if it was one of us Raph you can’t very well expect us to admit it can you?” Donnie reasoned wiping his eyes once more.

Shaking his head spreading flour as he did so, Raph stalked away from his brother muttering under his breath. Leo and Donnie exchanged glances their grins wide and generally feeling better. They returned to their respective rooms and even Raph had to admit that he felt better for the prank.

Over the next few days each of the turtles were water bombed, dusted, whoopee cushioned and even stink bombed. With Mikey still staying tucked up in bed with the last of his fever the three were becoming very wary of each other unable to decide which of them was responsible for pulling the pranks. 

Whoever it was, was being very careful by pranking themselves and putting on a good act in order to avoid suspicions. Raph was convinced it had to be Donatello while Donatello was convinced it was Leonardo. The eldest was sure that both of his younger brothers were responsible for the pranks. 

Whoever it was that was pranking them continued to remain a mystery even as Mikey was finally declared fit enough to leave his room by Donatello. With a little assistance he made his way down to the sofa and relaxed onto it.

“Whoa the lair is in one piece, I thought you guys would have torn it apart without me,” Mikey commented with a cheeky grin. 

“Yes well it seems Michelangelo that in your absence one of us took up your mantle and has been pranking everyone,” Leo explained bringing out a drink for his little brother.

Mikey’s blue eyes opened wide and looked between his brothers with surprise. A small smile settled on his face and he started to giggle.

“So let me get this straight, while I have been poorly locked up in my room one of you guys has been pranking?” Mikey clarified.

His brothers nodded their heads and Mikey giggled even louder.

“How many pranks are we talking about?” the sea green turtle asked.

Donnie let out a loud breath, “Well it started with Raph’s dusting and then there were the dyed water bombs, the whoopee cushions which I did not appreciate, a few more dustings and mud pie served at dinner but nobody knows who was in the kitchen.”

“Oh don’t forget the stick bombs at the lair entrance, the goo in the shower and our masks getting dyed,” Raph continued.

“The worst one was definitely the oil on our weapons so they kept sticking to our hands,” Leo added.

Mikey’s laughter echoed around the lair and he crossed his arms over his middle in mirth. His older brothers didn’t appreciate his enjoyment at their expense.

“Alright Michelangelo how did you do it?” Raph growled sitting in close and invading Mikey’s personal space.

“Me? How could it have been me? Donnie hasn’t let me out of my room for nearly three weeks and even if he had I’ve been too poorly, remember I couldn’t lift my head up off my pillow!” Mikey responded as he wiped tears of laughter from his eyes.

Raph’s eyes narrowed dangerously but he seemed to accept Mikey’s explanation and sat back allowing his little brother some breathing space.

“So who has been pranking us?” Leo questioned.

They all jumped as the doors of Master Splinter’s room opened and their father walked across the room to them.

“Ahh Michelangelo I am glad to see you up and about. Leonardo, Donatello and Raphael you all seem relatively calm and relaxed,” Splinter smiled at them before moving Raph with his cane and sitting next to Mikey.

Donnie and Leo exchanged glances before it seemed like a light bulb moment went off for each of them.

“Master Splinter . . .” Leo began.

“It was you!” Donnie finished off the accusation.

Raph’s head snapped up, a slight look of horror on his face.

“No my sons I did not do all of those pranks,” Splinter chuckled back.

Leo and Raph deflated but Donatello jumped on Master Splinter’s phraseology. 

“You didn’t do all of those pranks? Which means you at least did one of them?” Donnie asked intently.

“You are indeed correct Donatello,” Splinter nodded his head to his genius son.

“What?” all three elder turtles shouted.

Splinter looked at Michelangelo who started giggling again enjoying the looks on the other three turtle’s faces which were a mixture of shock, anger and consternation.

“You are indeed correct; I did pull one of the pranks over the past week. Without Michelangelo around to prank you all, you had no release of your frustrations. You have all taken to relying on Michelangelo for your outlets and could not think of how to do this without him,” Splinter began to explain.

Looking up Splinter saw that he had the attention of all his sons before continuing.

“On one of my visits to Michelangelo I commented upon your frustrations and asked if he had any suggestions. Even in his feverish state he was able to suggest a prank on Raphael. I thought very carefully about his reasoning and I realised what he was suggesting. With Michelangelo laid up in bed, Raphael would instinctively blame Leonardo and Donatello. Knowing it was one of them he would naturally wish to extract revenge and would have to do so on both,” Splinter stated.

Raph growled a little hating that he had been picked on by his father to be pranked.

“I believe after my initial prank on Raphael, he pranked Donatello and Leonardo who consequently set pranks of their own. It is a vicious cycle my sons,” Splinter chuckled.

Donnie sat back in his chair and let out a short laugh before Leo joined in and after a few minutes Raph joined in. Getting up from the seat Splinter patted Mikey on the knee and looked about his sons.

“I must admit my sons that after two weeks of watching you all grow increasingly annoyed with your inability to release your frustrations, it was revitalizing to see you all blossom so,” Splinter laughed as he walked away.

Leo, Donnie and Raph watched as their father walked away and then turned to Michelangelo who continued to smile at them.

“I knew you guys wouldn’t let me down,” Mikey explained.

They watched him lounge back on the sofa and rest his arms out over the back of it. Their anger slowly melted away as they realised how they’d been had by their father and younger brother and rose to the occasion without even knowing they were being manipulated. They each started to laugh along with Mikey.


End file.
